Self-Determination and the Climate Crisis
Event Type
Panel Discussion
Start Date
4-4-2025 2:00 PM
End Date
4-4-2025 3:00 PM
Description
People in U.S. territories are on the front lines of climate change, with global environmental changes representing an existential threat to their well-being and way of life. In December 2024, the International Court of Justice considered a landmark case brought by Indigenous communities in the Pacific to consider what obligations United Nations members states have under international law to protect the planet from greenhouse gas emissions for future generations. One key argument was that global pollutors and the climate change they create infringe on the right to self-determination for Indigenous communities throughout the Pacific. How should the right to self-determination be understood in an era of unprecedented external threats to the environment of Pacific Islands communities?
Self-Determination and the Climate Crisis
People in U.S. territories are on the front lines of climate change, with global environmental changes representing an existential threat to their well-being and way of life. In December 2024, the International Court of Justice considered a landmark case brought by Indigenous communities in the Pacific to consider what obligations United Nations members states have under international law to protect the planet from greenhouse gas emissions for future generations. One key argument was that global pollutors and the climate change they create infringe on the right to self-determination for Indigenous communities throughout the Pacific. How should the right to self-determination be understood in an era of unprecedented external threats to the environment of Pacific Islands communities?
Comments
Moderator: Paul Rink
Panelists: Janelle Sarauw, Adi Martinez-Roman, and Ian Falefuafua Tapu